Vin fobes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVIN FOBES. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TIMOTHY GILBERT.

MANNER OF CONSTRUCTING- THE HAMMER-HEADS USED IN PIANOFORTES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,971, dated February 10, 184-1.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWIN Forms, of Boston, in the county ot' Suffolkand State of lv/lassachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Hau'nner-Heads of Pianotortes, and that the following isa tull and exact description ot' the same.

The said description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingshereinafter referred to composee my specification, setting forth andexhibiting the principles of construction ot my improvement, (by whichitl may be distinguished from other inventions of a like character), andsuch parts or combinations therein as I claim and for which I solicit anexclusive property to be secured to my assignee Timothy Gilbertot'Boston in the State of Massachusetts.

My invention or improvement consists in constructing the upper portionof the hammer head otl cork, over which the soft butt' leather is to bestretched and glued in the usual manner toi-ming the striking part oi"the hammer.

Figure l, of the drmving exhibits an end View, and Fig. 2 a. sideelevation of a hammer head termed on my improved plan.

The cork a, is therein represented as resting on, and glued or otherwiseproperly confined to the body Y) ot the head. The cork is int-ended tosupply the place of the under strips or layers ot leather generallyapplied to the top ot the hammer and constituting the body, over whichthe outer layer ot' thick outl' leatherI is stretched and glued. In thedrawings this latter is denoted at c, passing over the cork and asutlicient distance down each of the sides of the wooden part 7) of thehammer as shown in Fig. l. The cork a., is to be shaped as seen in theend elevation or it may be slightly fai-led according to taste and.tancy or as -struct-ion.

circumstances require. The great advantage resulting from this peculiarconstruction of the hammer head is very perceptible in the loud and softtones. In a gentle stroke of the hammer cn the string, the stiffness ofthe cork renders the sound, producedv therefrom, both clearer andsharper, than the entire leather head, while in the heavier blows, theelasticity of the cork vis not only fully suflicient to bring forth therequisite sound, but prevents in a very great degree the harshness or"tone often perceptible in piano fort-es 4with hammers of the old con-Another and material advantage consists in the simplicity of the partsand consequent saving in the labor and expense ot manufacturing thesame.

I claim- Forming the top of the hammer heads of piano fortes ot cork,over which the soft buil leather, or striking part ot the head is to bestretched and conned in the usual manner, the whole being arrangedsubstantially as herein above described and shown in the drawings.

In testimony that the within description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, therein referred to, forms a true and correctspecification of my imlirovement in the hammer heads or" piano fortessetting forth its principles of construction and operation, iu suchfull, clear and exact terms, as to enable any person skilled in the artor science to which it appertains, to make, construct and use the same,I have hereunto subscribed my name, in presence of two witnesses, on theeighteenth day of December in the year eighteen hundred and forty.

EDIVIN FOBES.

TWitnesses R. II. EDDY, Ezini LINCOLN, Jr.

